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IWF WrestleMania 2000
WrestleMania 2000 (chronologically known as WrestleMania XVI) was the sixteenth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view produced by the International Wrestling Federation (IWF). It took place on April 2, 2000 at the Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim, California. This WrestleMania has the distinction of the only WrestleMania not to feature at least one standard one-on-one wrestling match. The main event was a four-way elimination match for the IWF Championship involving reigning champion Triple K, The Rock, Jon Foley, and The Big Show, which Triple K won after last eliminating The Rock. Main matches on the undercard included a triangle ladder match for the IWF Tag Team Championship involving Edge and Christian, The Hooper Boyz, and The Dudley Boyz, and a two-fall triple threat match for the IWF Intercontinental and European Championships involving Kurt Angle, Chris Jericho, and Chris Benoit. Background The main feud heading into WrestleMania was between Triple K, The Rock, Jon Foley, and The Big Show, with the four feuding over the IWF Championship. At the Royal Rumble two months prior, The Rock won the Royal Rumble match to become the number one contender to the IWF Championship at WrestleMania by last eliminating The Big Show, and Triple K defeated Cactus Jack (Jon Foley) in a Street fight to retain the IWF Championship. The proceeding month at No Way Out, The Big Show defeated The Rock to gain entry into the IWF Championship match at WrestleMania. Also at the event, Triple K defeated Foley in a Hell in a Cell match to retain the IWF Championship. Per the pre-match stipulation, Foley had to retire from professional wrestling. On the March 13 edition of Raw is War, The Rock managed to win back his title shot by defeating The Big Show with help from a returning Vince Matteson, thus making the IWF Championship match a Triple Threat match. Then, the following week, after Triple K retained his title against both The Rock and The Big Show, Linda Matteson came out announced that he would be defending his belt in a Fatal Four-Way match against not only The Rock and The Big Show, but also Jon Foley. The second main feud heading into the event was between Edge and Christian versus The Hooper Boyz (Matt and Josh Hooper) versus The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray and D-Von) for the World Tag Team Championship in a Triangle Ladder match. On the January 17 edition of Raw, Josh Hooper was scheduled to face Bubba Ray Dudley in a match. The match saw Josh pinning Bubba Ray after delivering a Swanton Bomb. After the match, the Dudley's attacked the Hooper Boyz, in which they powerbombed Matt on top of a table. On the January 20 edition of SmackDown!, Matt was placed in a match again D-Von Dudley. The win was given to Matt, after a disqualification took place. Josh and Bubba Ray made their way to the ring, in which both teams began brawling against one another. Bubba Ray prepared to powerbomb Matt into a table, that was set up by the Dudley's. Bubba Ray, however, was hit by Josh with a chair, causing him to fall onto the tables. The Hooper's then set up a table of their own and put D-Von on it, and Matt proceeded to perform a legdrop on D-Von through the table. At the Royal Rumble, the Hooper's defeated the Dudley's in a tag team tables match. The following night after the Royal Rumble, the Dudley's showed respect towards the Hooper's in which they would help them defeat the New Age Outlaws for the World Tag Team Championship. In return, the Hooper's would have to grant the Dudley's a title shot at the Tag Team Championship. During the tag title match, the Dudley's stopped the three count, after the Hooper's had the match in their favor and allowing the Outlaw's to retain the titles. After the match, the Dudley's then went onto perform the 3-D on them. In months leading to the event, Hardcore Champion Crash Holly had been involved in several matches which took place at increasingly unusual places, a situation that the champion had brought on himself. On February 24, 2000, Crash defeated Test for the Hardcore Championship on SmackDown! with help from his cousin Hardcore Holly and was so excited to be champion that he declared that as long as a referee was present, he would defend the title anytime at any place — a rule that was referred to as the "24/7" rule. Crash's decision backfired on him in a big way, as his title defenses often took place in odd places like a laundromat, an amusement park, and Newark Liberty International Airport to name a few as wrestlers were quick to strike to take the gold. Crash decided that he was tired of being on guard all the time and offered a shot to any wrestler for WrestleMania, provided that the 24/7 rule would be suspended until afterward. Several wrestlers took Crash up on his offer and the match became a battle royal. Event Aftermath Reception Results *The Big Boss Man & Bull Buchanan defeated D'Lo Brown & The Godfather (9:05) *Hardcore Holly won a 15-minute Hardcore Battle Royal for the IWF Hardcore Championship featuring: Crash Holly ©, Tazz, Viscera, Joey Abs, Rodney, Pete Gas, Taka Michinoku, Funaki, Headbanger Thrasher, Headbanger Mosh, Faarooq and Bradshaw. (15:00) :*Tazz pinned Crash with a capture suplex. (0:26) :*Viscera pinned Tazz after a Powerslam. (1:00) :*Funaki pinned Viscera with a flying shoulderblock from Bradshaw. (7:51) :*Rodney pinned Funaki after throwing him into a backstage wall. (8:11) :*Joey Abs pinned Rodney with a gutwrench suplex. (8:24) :*Thrasher pinned Joey Abs after a clothesline. (8:46) :*Pete Gas pinned Thrasher after a fire extinguisher shot. (9:29) :*Tazz pinned Pete Gas with a T-bone suplex. (10:17) :*Crash pinned Tazz after a cookie sheet shot. (14:20) :*Hardcore won by pinning Crash last after hitting him with a candy jar to win the title. (14:59) :*Everyone who got a pin was the champion up to the next pin; their title reigns are officially recognized by IWE in the title lineage history. *T&A (Test and Albert) (w/ Trish Stratus) defeated Head Cheese (Al Snow and Steve Blackman) (w/ Chester McCheeserton) (7:05) *Edge and Christian defeated The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray Dudley and D-Von Dudley) © and The Hooper Boyz (Josh Hooper and Matt Hooper) in a Triangle ladder match for the IWF Tag Team Championship (22:29) *Terri Runnels (w/ The Fabulous Moolah) defeated The Kat (w. Mae Young) (w/ Val Venis as Special Guest Referee) in a Catfight (2:25) *Chyna and Too Cool (Grand Master Sexay and Scotty Too Hotty defeated The Radicalz (Dean Malenko, Eddie Guerrero and Perry Saturn) (9:38) *Two-Fall Triple Threat Match for the IWF Intercontinental and IWF European Championships: Kurt Angle vs. Chris Jericho vs. Chris Benoit (13:35) :*Benoit pinned Jericho after a diving headbutt in the first fall to win the Intercontinental Championship. (7:54) :*Jericho pinned Benoit with a Lionsault in the second fall to win the European Championship. (13:35) *Kane and Rikishi (w/ Paul Bearer) defeated D-Generation X (Road Dogg and X-Pac) (w/ Tori) (4:16) *Triple K © (w/ Kalia Matteson-Kelmsley) defeated The Rock (w/ Mr. Matteson), Jon Foley (w/ Linda Matteson) and Big Show (w/ Shane Matteson) in a Fatal Four Way Elimination Match to retain the IWF Championship (36:28) Other on-screen talent Notes DVD releases External links References